Television

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Guns kill more than cars for the first time in 60 years

For the first time in more than 60
years, firearms and automobiles are killing Americans at an identical
rate, say new mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), reported the Washington Post.

In 2014, the age-adjusted death
rate for both firearms (including homicides, suicides and accidental deaths)
and motor vehicle events (car crashes, collisions between cars and pedestrians,
etc) stood at 10.3 deaths per 100,000 people. The convergence of the trend
lines is driven primarily by a sharp drop in the rate of motor vehicle
fatalities since 1950. In the late 1960s, there were well over 25 motor vehicle
deaths for every 100,000 people in the U.S. Since then, that rate has fallen by
more than half.
Over the same period, gun deaths rose, but by a considerably smaller
amount. Gun homicide rates have fallen in recent years, but those gains have
been offset by rising gun suicide rates. Today, suicides account for roughly
two out of every three gun deaths. One way of illustrating the shift is to look
at state-level data. In 2005, gun deaths outnumbered vehicle deaths in just two
states, Alaska and Maryland, plus the District of Columbia. By 2014, gun deaths
were greater in 21 states plus D.C. Medical ailments, such as cancer and heart
attacks, kill considerably more people each year than either guns or
automobiles.

About Matt

An analysis of crime and punishment from the perspective of a former prosecutor and current criminal justice practitioner.
The views expressed on this blog are solely those of the author and do not reflect the opinions or postions of any county, state or federal agency.